Fire and Shadows
by Brightpath2
Summary: Leo Valdez can't get the prophecy out of his head. "The Oath to keep with Final breath" haunts him, and he believes that the death and injuries his friends sustained is his fault. Nico knows how to fix that. The one-shot I wrote for Obsessivebookdiva


**Obsessivebookdiva, who won a one-shot for being the 900th reviewer of my House of Hades fanfiction, requested I write about Nico and Leo being friends. I thought it was a great idea, and so this was born.**

**I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: No, i do not own them, but oh my gods of Olympus they are amazing**

Leo drummed his fingers against the chair, wishing he had some scrap metal or something. This waiting was _killing_ him.

The prophecy kept running through his head, making it impossible to think.

_Seven half-bloods shall answer the call_

_To storm or fire, the world must fall_

_An oath to keep with a final breath,_

_And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death_

An oath to keep with a final breath . . .

Leo winced and ran one hand through his hair, which was still covered in grease, oil, sweat, and blood. He hadn't even gotten the chance to clean himself up since his last fight with a monster, and he knew he must look terrible.

But all he could do was think of the prophecy, and what it had ultimately meant.

Of course there was the pounding relief that he hadn't destroyed the world, but still, in the back of his mind . . .

_"An oath to keep with final breath . . ."_

"Leo! Where are you?" Nico's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Finally ese, you took forever." Leo groaned, standing and stretching. Then he ducked out from behind his curtain and into the alley, where Nico was standing and looking impatient, several bags hanging on his arms.

"Brought you dinner." Nico said calmly, not even flinching when Leo appeared through what appeared to be a brick wall.

"So you did. How've you been? You look tired." Leo said numbly, reaching for one of the bags.

Nico pulled back, dangling it out of his reach. "Not until you let me check if you're ok. No one has seen you for a year and a half, and there's no way Annabeth, Hazel and Piper are going to let me live if I don't check on you first." He growled.

Leo's shoulders slumped. He was making something that required all of his concentration, which meant no distractions, and no visits.

But every once in a while he'd get an IM from Nico, and Nico would insist he be allowed to come and bring him food, and make sure he was still alive.

"Fine." He grumbled, shrugging off his jacket, and thankful that for once he'd at least given himself some ambrosia after a battle. If he hadn't, he would have looked a ton worse than he did now.

Nico sighed as he check Leo over, and every once in a while he would ask where that scrape had come from, and whether or not the poor monster was now barbecue.

"Dude, I'm fine!" Leo finally protested, and Nico backed up, a faint smile on his face. The son of Hades looked almost as tired as Leo felt.

"Sure you are Leo." Nico said, and Leo realized that the son of Hades didn't believe him.

"Not that again . . ." Leo groaned, even though he knew Nico was right. He was always right. _And oath to keep with final breath . . ._

Leo gave in, leaning against the wall and rubbing his forehead tiredly. "Fine. It _is_ still that Nico, but I don't know why you bother anymore. You should know there's no way you can convince me that the whole thing isn't my fault.

"I knew they were up to something, and I still left them."

Nico glared, and Leo almost laughed. It was like this every time. Nico tried to convince Leo that it wasn't is fault, and maybe he didn't agree, but it comforted him to know that there was at least one person who didn't blame him.

"Leo, today is Hazel's birthday, and when we tried to ask her what she wanted to do, both she and Frank said they wanted you to come out from wherever you were, and then we could celebrate." Nico said, and Leo winced.

"But I-" He tried to protest, but Nico shook his head.

"No Leo, this time there are no arguments. You are going to go and visit everyone, and prove to them that you are alive." Nico allowed himself a smile. "I think they're all beginning to doubt that I've actually seen you."

Leo couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Fine. But only for a little while, and I'm not staying."

Nico grinned evilly, and before Leo could ask what he was doing, he was being pushed straight at a shadow against the wall.

When they emerged from the shadow, Nico stumbled away, gasping slightly, but looking pleased. Leo swayed for a moment and then sat down, trying to reorient himself. "What just happened?" He asked faintly.

"LEO VALDEZ WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" A furious voice made Leo yelp, get to his feet, and try and run, but it was too late. In less then a minute Hazel and Piper had seized him, and were asking him every question under the sun.

"I'm fine . . ." Leo managed. "Gerroff . . . can't breathe."

Finally the two girls backed away, and Leo got a good look at what was going on. Percy and Annabeth were sitting on a couch, Annabeth smiling at him, and Percy having a piece of pizza while glancing at his girlfriend. Leo's eyes focused on Annabeth's hand and saw the glint of a ring . . .

Scratch that, fiancee or wife.

Jason and Frank were standing back, grinning slightly, while Nico was brushing himself off, and shooting amused glances at Hazel and Piper, who were smiling so brightly that Leo felt guilty.

He could see the scars on his friends. It was his fault, and still they were smiling at him, glad to see him.

"Sit down Leo, we wanted to talk to you." Hazel said softly, her face glowing with happiness as she and Frank sat down next to Percy and Annabeth. Leo groaned, but moved to sit down.

"I suppose I have no choice." He grumbled, glaring at Nico. "Dude, you lied to me. That is not cool."

Nico shrugged. He didn't seemed concerned. "Just listen to Piper, she and Annabeth had an idea." he said calmly.

Leo turned grudgingly to face Piper, who was holding Jason's hand. Leo wished he would stop noticing how most of them were in couples.

"Remember how we thought that there were two ways to have fulfilled the prophecy?" Piper said immediately. Leo blinked, startled.

"What do you mean?" He asked, suspicious. If this was just a plan to get him to stay where they could find him . . .

"'To storm or fire the world must fall,'" Piper quoted, looking happily at Jason, who grinned unconvincingly.

"One way involved all of us surviving, but Gaea winning, because we wouldn't allow Percy and the others to use their plan." Piper continued, "the other was that one of us died, but the world was saved because you chose to not follow Jason's orders, and help Nico and Hephaestus. To Storm or Fire being you and Jason."

Annabeth picked up where Piper stopped. "We think that, although Jason was right in wanting to keep everyone safe, Alabaster's plan was the only way for us to win. Your choice to help your father and Nico freed Percy and the others to do what they knew was right, and that's how we won against Gaea."

Leo's eyes widened. He remembered the discussions they'd had on the Argo II of course, back when they were still trying to get Percy and Annabeth out of Tartarus, but he hadn't thought of those conversations in a long time.

Nico was smiling, which was unusual for the son of Hades, but what was more unusual was that the smile was honestly genuine. "I thought you needed some cheering up," he admitted, "but I wasn't lying about it being Hazel's birthday."

**I think that if Leo had something to do with the final breath sequence of the prophecy, and it wasn't him, he would be so guilt ridden he wouldn't be able to look anyone in the eyes. I think he would leave, hide, keep himself secluded.**

**I also think the only one who would be able to find him would be Nico, who knows a lot about the shadows. Nico knew that Leo was guilt ridden, and he knew how to fix it. none of Leo's friends blamed him, so why should he blame himself?**

**I hope you liked it! Review please :)**


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